'Anger Management' Review: "Charlie and the Break-Up Coach"

‘Anger Management’ continues on its 90-episode, two-year run with its 28th overall episode “Charlie and the Break-Up Coach,” as Charlie inadvertently advises Jen to become Patrick's life coach, while Lacey attempts to help Charlie's father Martin make his ex jealous.

Last week’s episode “Charlie Lets Kate Take Charge” saw Charlie take to coaching a high school baseball team with his competitive father, while Kate took over Charlie’s therapy group to mixed results, so what will the latest episode bring? Are there more laughs to be had in the twenty-eighth half-hour of ‘Anger Management,’ or does it fail miserably?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about ‘Anger Management’ episode 28, “Charlie and the Break-Up Coach!”

The group debates Patrick’s most recent breakup, as Charlie advises him to resist his urges to retaliate against his ex in anger. Charlie proposes that someone from the group could spend time with Patrick to combat his loneliness, but when Lacey volunteers, Charlie quickly realizes she only wants to meet his friends, and urges her to do something selfless for a change.

After the session, Jen asks Charlie for a loan to start another failed business venture, to which Jen protests that her relationship with Charlie prevented her from going to college and deciding on a true career path. Finding Patrick still depressed on the couch, Charlie volunteers Jen to hang out with him to kill two birds with one stone.

Having an awkward dinner with his father, Charlie listens to Martin’s latest scheme to have his ex-wife take him back, soon interrupted by Lacey returning to pick up her phone. Lacey sees an opportunity to help Martin by creating a Facebook page with photos of her to make Martin’s ex jealous, rubbing it in Charlie’s face that she can be selfless after all

Later that night, Charlie and Kate run into Jen and a much more positive Patrick at the bar, to which Jen reveals that she thinks she’s found her calling as a life coach, despite Charlie’s reservations. That night, Charlie notes that Patrick didn’t show up for the last session, and Kate points out that Jen seems to be undermining Charlie, even if a sense of purpose makes her happy.

The next day in session Charlie looks over Martin’s Facebook page with Lacey, quickly realizing that Lacey used the account to cyber-bully some friends of hers. Patrick shows up late after a romantic lunch, having been convinced to date again on Jen’s advice. Charlie later takes his frustration directly to Jen, pointing out that her life coaching will send Patrick down the wrong path.

Lacey shows up at Martin’s apartment to apologize for taking advantage of his Facebook page, though Martin admits his hare-brained scheme was borne of desperation. Martin attempts to pay Lacey for the trouble, for which Martin’s neighbors presume Lacey to be a hooker, and Lacey plays along to bolster Martin’s confidence in another way.

Prior to session, Charlie expresses his reservations to Patrick about Jen’s advice, compounded by the fact that Jen herself insists on being present for the meeting. Jen repeatedly interferes with Patrick’s answers, to which Charlie throws them both out, and Nolan whines that Martin won’t accept his Facebook friendship.

That night, Kate attempts to cheer Charlie up before Jen interrupts seeking Charlie’s help. A call from an ex sent Patrick over the deep end into a drunken attempt to burn his ex’s things. Charlie races over and tries to talk Patrick out of it, aided by a mysterious neighbor, who looks suspiciously like Guns ‘N’ Roses guitarist Slash. Patrick ultimately relents, taking Charlie’s advice to deal with the pain naturally, while Jen agrees.

The next day, Jen apologizes to Charlie for undermining his work, and professes her true calling to be honing her gut instincts as a psychic, but quickly reveals the idea as a joke.

It can be easy to hate on 'Anger Management,' though even we feel that tonight's plotting felt especially sloppy, and uncharacteristic to see Jen undermining Charlie so easily with her sudden attempt at life-coaching. Similarly, Martin and Lacey's plot lacked enough time to really register, while most baffling of all was the appearance from Slash, itself never drawn attention to in dialogue. We do our best to cut 'Anger Management' slack, but we've seen far better from the FX's sitcom's attempts to broaden its horizons.

Did you enjoy the latest from ‘Anger Management’s ongoing run, or did it make you burn with rage? Join us next week for another all-new ‘Anger Management’ episode recap of “Charlie, Kate and Jen Get Romantic” on FX!